Memorial Day and Memorial Day weekend in Washington and Beaufort County offers plenty of opportunities to honor America’s war dead and enjoy the holiday.

Yes, the traditional Memorial Day observance at Washington’s Veterans Memorial Park on East Third Street is set for 11 a.m. Monday, but there is more that night. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Festival Park, a multi-faceted Memorial Day Celebration takes place.

Among the planned activities is a keynote address by retired Maj. Gen. Gordon Nash, United States Marine Corps. Nash retired from the Marine Corps in 2006 after nearly 35 years of service.

Other activities include musical performances by Caroline Dare and Spare Change and a fireworks display.

The event, organized by the Washington (noon) Rotary, is sponsored by Washington Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. The fireworks display is being paid for by Beaufort County.

“We were approached by the mayor to see if we would like to handle it,” said Pam Anderson, president of Washington (noon) Rotary. “No one did it last year. We had one the year before. We didn’t have one last year. He was wondering since we do Smoke on the Water if we would like to do the Memorial Day event. We saw it as an opportunity to serve the community and put Rotary out there and try to show we do a lot of good things in the community.”

The Memorial Day service at Veterans Memorial Park in Washington, organized by the local Disabled American Veterans 48, will feature a keynote address by Shirley Winstead Hill, a North Carolinian who represents District 9 in the national DAV Auxiliary. Russell Spalti, a retired Marine gunnery sergeant who worked in avionics, also will speak at the service, according to Juanita White, commander of DAV 48.

The Cypress Landing Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. Monday. Veterans are asked to assemble at 9:15 a.m. at the golf course parking lot. Once assembled, the veterans will march over Veterans Bridge to join other parade participants, who will line up on Cypress Landing Parkway at Veterans Bridge and facing the main entrance. The veterans will lead the paraded down Cypress Landing Parkway to Potomac Drive and around to the Bay Club grounds. Spectators are asked to line Cypress Landing Parkway and Potomac Drive to view the parade.

Once the parade participants and others assemble at the Bay Club, a memorial service will be conducted.

“Bill Staton will be the (master of ceremonies). The Rev. Bill Hufham, a retired minister, will give the blessing. Then we will have cookies and lemonade,” said Marti Davis, one of the event organizers.

The memorial service includes military music and a bagpipes group from Greenville, Davis said.

Aurora’s 24^th-annual Fossil Festival runs today through Sunday. The festival celebrates and educates about all things fossil. The opening ceremony is 6 p.m. today on Main Street. A breakfast for veterans is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by the annual parade at 11 a.m. on Main Street. Lectures, music by the various entertainers, children’s events and a motorcycle drill team are among events planned for Saturday. Sunday events include church services from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various local churches.